UC Berkeley student arrested after felony sex crime reports

Update, May 16: Authorities have charged a 20-year-old UC Berkeley student who was “active in the Greek system” with felony sex crimes involving two women in November 2017 and March 2019, according to court papers.

Original story, May 15: A 20-year-old UC Berkeley student has been arrested in connection with three felony sexual assault allegations, Berkeleyside has learned.

Finn Wolff is being held without bail at Berkeley Jail and was arrested on a warrant Tuesday at about 8:15 a.m., jail records show. Police arrested him on suspicion of rape by force or fear, oral copulation by force and sexual penetration by force, according to jail records online.

The Berkeley Police Department said Wednesday it cannot comment on the case because the investigation is ongoing. Few details were therefore available.

Wolff is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday morning at the Wiley Manuel Courthouse in Oakland.

Wolff, who attended high school in Salt Lake City, Utah, is studying business and data science at UC Berkeley, according to his LinkedIn page: “I am passionate about the intersection between business and technology and how that can continue to disrupt current industries and help shape the world in the 21st century,” he wrote.

Wolff describes himself as the CEO and co-founder of a company named AVNT, according to LinkedIn, which is a “social streetwear marketplace harnessing the power of augmented reality.” He also identifies himself, on LinkedIn, as a member of the Undergraduate Real Estate Club, the College Ski and Snowboard Club and the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.

Phi Kappa Psi Chapter President Parker Cardwell told Berkeleyside on Wednesday that Wolff is no longer a member of the fraternity and has no connection to it. Cardwell said Phi Kappa Psi was aware of the sex crime allegations and had removed Wolff from the chapter in December as a result of those reports.

Wolff “has no current affiliation whatsoever due to actions that go directly against our core beliefs,” Cardwell said in an email in response to a Berkeleyside inquiry. “Additionally, I would like to say that we as brothers of Phi Kappa Psi, absolutely do not condone or excuse any of these actions. We offer our support to these survivors and all survivors who have been affected by such horrible crimes. As a chapter, we have a firm zero tolerance policy on violence, of any kind, towards women.”

Berkeleyside will share additional information as it is available.

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